


With me

by Sylvalum



Category: Sonic the Hedgehog - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the wild, Gen, M/M, Pining, Sonic and the Black Knight, Swords, don't worry you don't need to know anything about zelda to read this
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-21
Updated: 2019-11-09
Packaged: 2020-05-15 22:59:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,255
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19305574
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sylvalum/pseuds/Sylvalum
Summary: The chosen Knight, Sonic, is annoying. This is an opinion that Shadow, a Knight who's been at the court forfarlonger than Sonic has, is going to cling to with tooth and nail. Unfortunately Sonic is odd, and he talks a lot - but it’s only blathering and joking and humming peasant songs - and he's not a noble, but he's witty and clever and far, far too charming...(or: SATBK meets Zelda)





	1. the light

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Last hopes](https://archiveofourown.org/works/13990449) by [orphan_account](https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account). 



> so whew! this is gonna be fun. anyway, i write too many zelda aus, but here comes the zelda word explanations:  
> Hyrule - the kingdom where everyone lives, but there's different areas and such  
> Hylian - humans but w/ pointy ears  
> Gerudo - tribe of desert people. basically 99% women, they almost never get sons, but i'm kind of skipping that rule here  
> Sheikah - tribe of people who made a bunch of fantastic things in ancient times. they're still around tho. also known as the shadow folk  
> Zora - fancy fish people, they kinda have their own kingdom but answer to Hyrule?  
> Champion - just a really fancy Knight. Very good at fighting.
> 
> this is still a work in progress, but let's go!!

He’s never going to forget that night.

Candlelight softening the shapes of the hall, unevenly lighting the faces of the gathered crowd. Nobles and foreigners, Mobians and Hylians, Sheikah and Zora, castle servants and maids and stablehands, advisors, royals, knights, ambassadors, all crowding around them. And in the centre of it all, on the podium in front of the throne, stood Princess Amy Rose of the kingdom of Hyrule with the holy sword in hand, and kneeling in front of her was the chosen knight.

It was the first time Shadow laid eyes on him.

He was dressed in a blue tunic a slightly lighter shade than his quills, and he looked very - Shadow thought, even though he’d laugh at it later - that he looked very  _ inadequate _ . Small. Not like the one single knight appointed to protect the Princess, lead the Champions and wield the holy sword  _ should _ look like.

Shadow, a Champion of Hyrule himself, didn’t think much of him.

“Sonic,” Princess Amy had said at last, touching the tip of the holy sword to his shoulder, “In the name of the three goddesses, rise as the knight chosen by the sword.”

The chosen knight had stood, and he’d said a vow, shorter than most vows Shadow had heard in his time at court, and then the Princess had given him the sword. He had grinned at the Princess then, and the Princess smiled back, but it wasn’t even half as vibrant or beautiful as Sonic’s smile had been.

The Princess said, “May the light illuminate your path.”

The crowd bowed their heads, Shadow just barely inclining his head, and he murmured along,  _ may the light illuminate your path. _

 

* * *

 

And he sure fucking is illuminated.  _ Illuminating _ , putting smiles on the soldiers’ faces. Shadow and his fellow Champions are prepared to follow the chosen knight’s every order, of course, because the chosen knight’s every order better come straight from her highness the Princess herself, but - Sonic doesn’t give orders. He talks a lot, but it’s only blathering and joking and humming peasant songs.

He annoys Shadow.

Jet and Blaze, Champions of air and fire respectively, don’t seem to know what to make of him.

And the last Champion, Silver of the light, finds Sonic charming.

This is why all the stupid rumours of Sir Silver being Shadow’s son are wrong: their opinions never seem to align.

Then at last, the Princess sends them all out on their first quest: protect a group of archeologists as they excavate a promising patch of rock in the Gerudo desert. The Princess herself is very interested in the ancient Sheikah culture, and as soon as any new ruins are excavated she rides out herself to take a look. She is, like many of the Sheikah descendants, convinced that the solution to all their problems lies in the past.

Jet, Blaze and Silver go to saddle up their horses, for the journey to the desert is a long one. 

Sonic doesn’t seem to have a horse.

Shadow doesn’t, of course, because he’s faster than a horse if he wishes to be.

They wait out in the courtyard together, Shadow in his usual armour, Sonic in only that tunic, boots and gloves. Shadow prays that Sonic won’t take any interest in Shadow, but then, they’ve never spoken a word to each other yet, and Sonic wastes no time in skipping up to him and saying, “Sir Shadow of the lake, am I right?”

“That is me,” Shadow replies, pushing up the visor on his helmet to give Sonic a dead stare.

“Why’s it the lake?” Sonic asks. “If I may ask?”

“My family name is du Lac.” Not like Shadow was raised by his father’s relatives from the Sheikah, nor by his mother’s relatives in Gerudo, but no matter. “I inherited the title from my father.”

“Ah,” Sonic says. “So you can’t manipulate water or anything? Like Sir Blaze commands the fire?”

“I’m afraid not.” 

Shadow can’t help it, then. He should kill the conversation right here, but instead he says, “I’d be Sir Shadow of the lightning, in that case.”

Sonic visibly perks up. “Oh, is that so? What can ya do?”

Shadow is showing off but  _ fine _ , it’s this one time, only, Shadow can be arrogant if he wants to. He pulls of his left gauntlet and draws his hand back, like he’s about to throw a spear, and then he lets the bolt of energy fly.

“Whoa!” Sonic sounds honestly delighted. “That’s so awesome. You should totally get your title changed, Sir Shadow of the… thunder!”

Goddammit, Shadow  _ won’t _ be charmed by this knight who speaks like a commoner, he hasn’t even seen him in a fight, he might be an incompetent fool- (like the holy sword would ever choose an idiot to wield it, but nevertheless…)

Shadow clears his throat and says, “And you are Sir Sonic of the…?”

The goddess, or the sword, are common titles for the chosen knight, though some of Sonic’s distant predecessors in the legends have been known as simply the Chosen Knight, or the knight of time, or of the shadow. Haha. The shadow, indeed.

“Sonic of the wind,” Sonic says, grinning. “And that’s because I’m free and fast as the wind.”

Silver arrives, then, the other two Champions right behind him, but the damage has already been done. Shadow has been swayed to Sonic’s side.

 

* * *

 

They head off on their quest. Sonic does indeed run in front, on foot, easily faster than the horses and with seemingly no effort. Shadow runs right behind him, his enchanted footwear allowing him to skate along the road as if on ice. Behind them the other three Champions ride on their horses, though in a pinch the three of them shall be able to run too.

They leave Castle Town and head southeast.

They take breaks, for the horses’ sake, but Sonic never rests. Instead he climbs a tree and throws down apples to the Champions, forages around in the grass to find a bug, and moves around a bunch of boulders on the grass so they form a circle. 

“Why?” Shadow asks him, staring up the apple tree after him.

“Sitting down is a waste of time,” Sonic claims. “If I’m not on the move then I get bored.”

When they make camp for the night however, at the border of Hyrule Field, Sonic unrolls his bedroll, lies down and is out like a light. Silver and Jet gets the horses settled, while Blaze makes a fire, and then they all spread out their own bedrolls and take off their armour.

“Do you think the researchers in Gerudo have found something promising?” Silver asks to no one, pulling up his blanket to his chin. His fur always makes him shine in the moonlight, pale silver - horrible for stealth. He looks terribly innocent without his helmet on.

“It might simply be yet another old shrine,” Blaze reminds him, not unkindly. Her eyes glow with the same hue as the flames she just lit.

“They  _ did _ find that ancient machine by Death Mountain,” Jet says grudgingly. “Called it a Divine Beast, like the legends, hah! It’s not impossible they’ve found another one, but I  _ highly _ doubt it...”

“We’ll know when we reach them,” Shadow says.

They go to sleep.

Sonic wakes them at dawn and then they’re off again, spending most of the day traveling through the long and winding Gerudo Canyon Pass, the only way to get through the mountains surrounding the desert. The farther they travel the hotter it gets, but it doesn’t bother Shadow; he’s got Gerudo blood in him even though he was raised by Hylians.

Jet, on the other hand, complains loudly and at length, since the poor bastard was raised next to a snowfield.

“May the goddess take my soul as I wither away,” he groans, slumping over his horse. “And may I be reborn as an ice monster!”

“Man,” Sonic says. “If you think it’s so hot, then why don’t you take that helmet off?”

“Sir?” Jet snaps.

“It looks so uncomfortable, c’mon.” The horses have stopped now, and Sonic stands and grins up at Jet. “The Gerudo who live here don’t even wear helmets, so just take it off.”

“Is that an order?”

Jet sounds harassed, but Shadow is intrigued. What will Sonic do next?

“No, it’s a suggestion.” Sonic squints at Jet. “Seriously, how do you stand to wear that thing?”

Jet takes off his helmet.

They reach the Gerudo desert by the evening, having left the horses at the stable at the mouth of the desert, which is just when the desert starts to turn cold. Jet puts his helmet back on, now the happiest one in their lot, while Shadow digs in his pack until he’s got his cloak in hand, wrapping himself up tightly.

Traveling in sand is slower than on grass, and they quickly make camp in some old ruins. The desert is more dangerous than Hyrule Field by far, so Shadow offers to sit watch. 

“Alright,” Sonic allows. “But wake me so I can take second watch.”

The others quickly pack up and roll out their bedrolls, Sonic a bit slower. Shadow takes off his helmet but leaves the rest of the armour on, sitting down on a stone block jutting out of the sand. Sonic spreads his bedroll right next to Shadow, and when Shadow stares he winks at him. “G’night,” he says cheerfully, and turns over in his bedroll.

“Sleep well,” Shadow answers after a moment, almost hoping Sonic doesn’t hear it. 

Sonic... is odd and simple and kind, he’s no noble, absolutely not, but he’s not stupid, he’s puzzling to the point of annoyance, he’s so charming. He’s the chosen knight and Shadow wonders  _ how _ , how did that happen?

Shadow looks at Sonic, one last glance, and then he stares out into the desert.

 


	2. cut chunks out of the summer

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another word:  
> Rito - bird people

 

The next day they reach the archaeologists’ plot of sand, which is a completely unremarkable stretch of desert apart from how there’s... unmistakably  _ something _ big buried in the sand. The same shade as the desert stone, the construction is far bigger than a Molduga - and Moldugas are already enormous behemoths, monsters of the dunes. Shadow stays on his guard even as Silver joyfully exclaims, “Look! They’ve found something, they have!”

“We can’t know for sure that it’s something good,” Shadow says, even though it does look incredibly promising. 

“C’mon, let’s go talk to them!” Sonic tells his knights, and together the Champions approach the researchers. The archeologists are a mix of Hylian and Mobian, from the Gerudo and from the Sheikah, but every last one of them is carefully digging and note-taking and brushing away sand with the same rapt, curious attention.

Shadow shakes off the memory of Gerald and Maria wearing those exact same expressions, and takes a step forward to turn his focus onto the ruins instead.

“How’re you doing?” Sonic asks a researcher, and soon he’s surrounded by them, chattering pleasantly about their progress and reports of monsters on the move, holding a cheerful little court.

Jet scoffs, sweating in the heat. Silver looks like he would very much love to go up and poke at the dig site, but doesn’t want to accidentally ruin anyone’s hard work. Blaze simply waits patiently, as unbothered by the heat as Shadow.

Shadow just watches Sonic.

Sonic looks more vibrant than ever in his blue pelt among all this dust. He slings an arm around the shoulders of a Sheikah researcher, leans on another from the Gerudo so that he can peer closer at the notes she’s showing him. Whispers something in a thirds ear.

Shadow doesn’t exactly  _ want _ to stare like this, catalogue every little move Sonic makes, but he cannot bring himself to look away either.

Eventually Sonic turns back to them and declares brightly, “This -  _ is _ another Divine Beast! They’re almost completely sure of it already, but with just a little more digging then any doubts will be squashed.” He grins. “They’re already talking about naming it  _ Vah Naboris _ , like that old story…”

“That’s so wonderful!” Silver exclaims, clearly delighted. He grins at Blaze.

“Hmm,” Jet allows. 

“Hmm,” Shadow echoes, but Sonic’s joy is infectious. He tries to keep his very proper and regal knight expression on, but it’s slipping.

“We’re also invited to Gerudo Town,” Sonic adds. “Or well, not  _ all  _ of us I suppose. But we oughta go and check it out anyway! They might have more information for us there, and the Princess would no doubt appreciate it.”

“Yes,” Blaze agrees. “The opportunity to buy some more food could be beneficial as well.”

They spend the rest of the day loitering around the dig site, where the Divine Beast still slumbers beneath the sands. Jet finds a place to lie in the shade and look like he’s dying, while Blaze dutifully keeps an eye on the horizon, on the look-out for monsters. Silver eventually manages to sign up to help with the digging, carefully moving heaps of sand away with his abilities. Sonic socialises.

Shadow circles the dig site, keeping watch.

When the day is at its hottest, even the researchers take a break. Sonic goes to sit with Jet, then, and Shadow tries not to spy on them too much. They’re not saying a lot, anyhow...

And soon, the day is over.

 

* * *

 

When the sun sets, the Champions all head for Gerudo Town. “ _ No men are permitted within the city _ ” is an ancient rule of Gerudo Town, which Sonic now reads out loud, looking at Silver with a puzzled expression, as he and Blaze walk through the gates.

“He’s not a man,” Shadow feels like he can explain, since Silver has always been open about this. “He just uses ‘ _ he/him _ ’ to refer to himself.”

“Ah right!” Sonic says. “Well then.” He looks at the gates, then back at Shadow and Jet. “What do  _ we _ do now?”

Jet says, “We should make camp, don’t you agree?” 

They make camp. 

They trek to a ruin close to the city, a few stone blocks almost buried in the sand with a few desert bushes sprouting up around them, and Shadow starts a small campfire. Jet spreads out his blankets and just lies down on top of them, wings and legs spread out, seemingly basking in the chilly night air. He lets out a long sigh. “I hate the sun,” he then says without prompting. “Why couldn't the researchers have found something in Hebra instead?”

Hebra, the snowy region in northern Hyrule from which the Rito, like Jet, hail.

“They’ll probably find something there too, eventually,” Shadow says. Goddess knows there’s enough relics buried in Hyrule to keep the archeologists digging for centuries.

Jet groans.

Meanwhile, Sonic is uncharacteristically… absent. That’s not right. Shadow stands up, maybe a bit too quickly, and surveys the area and  _ there _ \- Sonic’s standing out in the sand, far away enough to not hear them, standing and holding his sword. Shadow grabs his own blade, and makes haste over to him. He moves swiftly across the sand, and is quick to ask, “Is something the matter?” Shadow scans the horizon. “Sonic? Did you see anything?”

“What- no, no, I was just-” Sonic holds up his sword and waggles it a little.

“You were…?” Shadow trails off, but relaxes enough to lower his own sword.  _ You were…? Sparring? Polishing it? _

“Talking a bit, you know.” Sonic inexplicably says, and holds the sword up to his face and says, “Yo, Caliburn, this here is Sir Shadow of the thunder! Say hi.”

Then  _ the holy sword _ says, a mouth opening in the fucking hilt, “Pleased to make your acquaintance. I do hope that you’re here to keep Sonic out of making stupid decisions.”

Shadow stumbles back, completely graceless in his horror, and curses. “What- the legends never said that - the holy sword _ talks _ -”

“Well,” Sonic says. “This sword sure does! And people call him ‘the holy sword’, so I figure they know better than me what’s up.”

“I’m afraid Sir Sonic isn’t the sharpest tool in the shed,” the holy-  _ Caliburn _ says.

“Oh man, that sounds  _ so _ weird,” Sonic says. “Feel free to call me knave again, ‘cause let me tell ya, ‘sir’ sounds like more of an insult than knave in your mouth.”

Sonic’s grinning. Caliburn harrumps. Shadow stares helplessly.

“I bid you goodnight, sir - Sonic,” Shadow finally says. “Wake me up- when you want me to stand watch.”

The short journey back to camp feels very calming, sane and normal, and when he gets there and lies down on his bedroll, free of his armour, what he feels the most is  _ wonder.  _ Almost childlike, almost like sneaking into Grandpa’s lab with Maria, just for a peek at his work.

Shadow thought that part of him dead.

But talking swords and Divine Beasts…

 

* * *

 

The Champions’ first quest isn’t exactly difficult work, so it’s no surprise that it ends up a success. Sonic befriends nearly all the researchers and workers and archaeologists, Blaze and Silver get even more information from the people in Gerudo Town, and not a single monster crosses their path. A week after they first came to the desert they’re preparing to leave, and they reach the edge of the desert just as the sun sets.

They stop, then and there, because from the sands a pillar rises. No - large, carved out of ancient stone, but still it’s unmistakably a neck and a head. 

The Divine Beast rises.

It’s tall, and just keeps rising and rising until it’s standing up on four legs. On its back are two large lumps, looking almost like two dome shaped roofs, and its neck is as tall as one of its legs. High above the desert it holds its head with no discernible face, but Shadow still feels as if it’s looking at him. Sizing him up.

It’s nothing but his imagination but still he shivers-

“Naboris.” Blaze says softly, and then there’s not really anything else to add, is there?

 

* * *

 

They stop at the stable in the Gerudo Canyon Pass to pick up their horses. Any traveler coming on a horse has to drop it off here before continuing into the desert, because the horses can’t run on the dunes. Blaze, Silver and Jet go to talk to the staff of the stable, and meanwhile Sonic and Shadow wait outside. 

Through the narrow gap between the canyon walls high above them, Shadow can see the stars.

“They say that if you see a star fall,” Sonic begins, quietly. “Then you should remember the spot where it fell, because you might find treasure there.”

“I tried that once,” Shadow replies. It’s a small confession. “Me and - my sister. We never found the place where it fell.”

_ ‘Shadow, Shadow, it’s the chase that’s the most fun!’ _ Maria had said, after they finally gave up and sat down, two hours of fruitless scavenging through the woods having put mud on her dress and her face, and her poor frail lungs shouldn’t have had to endure that but she insisted on the adventure nevertheless.

“You have a sister?” Sonic asks, soft and curious, finding Shadow’s weakest spot without ever trying.

“She’s dead.” Shadow says bluntly. “We weren’t related by blood, either way.”

“I’m so sorry,” Sonic says, and-

Then Jet comes with his horse, Silver and Blaze behind him, and that’s that, done with the emotions, time to head out. They mount their horses and get going, Sonic running first. Shadow follows close behind, trying to stop himself from wondering whether Sonic has any family. He’s not a noble, doesn’t have any valuable ancestry - Shadow would’ve known. Shadow would’ve met him earlier, in that case. Doesn’t stop Sonic from having family though, or maybe… a partner.

Thinking about this any more would be pointless, very pointless, so Shadow resolves to only focus on the quest at hand for now. Travel back to Castle Town, report to the princess, get assigned a new quest; as usual…

The road winds onward, and they travel until dawn, at which point they’re nearly out of the canyon. The dry grass whispers at them where they’ve chosen to make camp, desert insects chirp and screech, and after running all night Shadow can’t even imagine trying to go to sleep anymore today. The whole canyon is a dangerous territory, and Shadow would prefer to keep watch himself. That way he’ll know for sure that nothing will ambush them.

(has he always been this wary, or was it Maria and Gerald’s deaths that made him like this?)

The Champions sleep, and Shadow keeps watch.

Sonic chooses to curl up next to Shadow’s sitting stone of choice again, and Shadow forces himself to not read anything into it. 

He’s flattered anyway.

When the afternoon sun stands high in the sky Shadow deems them to have slept enough, so he grabs Sonic’s shoulder and shakes him lightly.

Sonic’s eyes fly open, green like young grass, and then he promptly rolls over with a groan and buries his face in his bedroll.

“We should head back,” Shadow says, perhaps a bit more gleefully than proper, and then he raises his voice to say, “Champions! Get up.”

Onward: to the castle in the distance!

 

* * *

 

Castle Town greets them happily and they’re quickly ushered up to the castle by the royal guards, through halls and corridors up to the king’s throne, where Princess Amy Rose leads them away to the dining hall and tells them to sit down and tell her about what they’ve learned. “They’ve found a Divine Beast, your highness!” Silver blurts out first, eyes shining.

“We saw it wake, my lady,” Blaze adds.

“Yes, I knew it!” The Princess exclaims. “I knew it, I knew, take  _ that _ , Father-”

The Champions tell her all they know while the Princess gushes and listens and makes theories, a light in her eyes that Shadow hasn’t seen before. Some castle servants eventually serve them some food and drink, and Shadow is content to eat bread rolls while Sonic entertains Amy and charms the servants. She talks about what the researchers found in the Gerudo desert, how it fits with the other Divine Beast that was found near Death Mountain, and then she trails off into talking about the future and ends her long and passionate speech with saying, “I’ve sent another group to Hebra, so that is where you shall go next.”

“Alright,” Sonic begins, but then Amy cuts in.

“Sorry,” she says, sounding unhappy, “But my father wants you to accompany me to the Spring of Courage. The Champions will have to get by on their own.”

The Spring of Courage in Faron, far in the south of Hyrule - while Shadow and the others will be in Hebra, as far north as you can go.

Shadow does not want to see Sonic leave.

“Oh, that’s no problem,” Shadow says, with forced cheer and a fake smile. “I’ll just take over the command, like old times. May you find courage at the spring, Princess.”

“Thank you, Sir Shadow.” The Princess’ smile seems just as artificial. “None of the praying I’ve done so far has done a single thing, but…”

But her father forces her to go on pilgrimages all year round and pray to the goddess every single day so that she may unlock that ‘ability’ of the princesses of old legend, yes, yes.

Fate is a cruel being.

“Have a safe journey.”

 


	3. I get older, the weather gets colder

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i'm so sorry, but school has been. stressful. anyway, here is a chapter:

 

Shadow and his knights leave at dawn, heading north. Since Sonic, beloved chosen one, is not with them on this journey, the command of the Champions has fallen to Shadow once again, so he runs in front while the others ride after him. And Hyrule is _beautiful_ in the mornings, as the fog lifts off the meadows and the plains glisten with dew, as birds burst into chatter and song, as the sun rises behind the far-off mountains.

Yet Shadow hardly cares, today.

Sonic isn’t with them, and it stings more than Shadow would admit to anyone. It stings more than it should, more than is safe. 

Sir Shadow’s worst weakness has always been his heart.

They travel north. The closer they get to the Hebra mountains, the less sullen and more genuinely pleasant to be around Jet becomes - he’s homesick quite a lot, it’s just that he’d rather cut off an arm before admitting any weakness of his own.

Still, it’s obvious. And Shadow really, really can’t blame him. At least Jet still has a home to return to.

They stop at a stable in the Tabantha region, right next to Tanagar canyon but on the wrong side of it, but still just close enough to Hebra that you can see its peaks in the distance, huge and blue against the colours of the setting sun. Tomorrow they’ll cross the bridge and then they’ll be in Hebra, barely a day away from Rito Village, Jet’s hometown.

While his knights are getting their horses settled down, Shadow goes into the main tent of the stable area, where they have a bar and a few tables, and you can always find a few locals having a drink to chat with. He talks to the innkeeper in the corner, pays for a room with four beds, and then he thinks, _might as well,_ and goes to see what kind of food they’re serving today.

Rito-style stew. A spicy, filling meal. Shadow buys a bowl and goes to find himself a table, where he sits down, takes off his helmet, and begins to eat.

Then somebody interrupts him. “What’s with all the armour, sugar?” a bat lady asks, rudely sitting down on his table. “Are you some kinda knight?”

“Sir Shadow du Lac,” Shadow introduces himself curtly, putting down his spoon.

“Rouge the Bat,” says the lady, and gives him her hand. He kisses it only for politeness’ sake, sizing her up as she withdraws her hand. She’s wearing a Rito down coat and nondescript breeches, nothing suspicious whatsoever, yet Shadow’s brain keeps hanging up on… something. The dagger at her hip? The Gerudo make-up?

He can’t put a finger on it.

“So,” Rouge says. “What’s a lone knight doing out here, all the way up in Tabantha?”

“I have three other knights with me,” Shadow says.

“Even better! Is there some kinda trouble brewing, _or…?”_   
“We’re here to aid a group of Sheikah researchers,” Shadow grudgingly reveals. “They’re supposed to have found something of worth up in Hebra, and now her royal highness sent us.”

“The Princess?” Rouge cocks her head, sliding closer. “Isn’t that impressive, running errands for ‘her royal highness’ herself…”

“Perhaps,” Shadow says, and quickly takes the last bite out of his stew. “If you’ll excuse me,” he says, standing up. “I’m afraid I’ll have to be leaving now. Fare thee well.”

He leaves the room as quickly as possible while still being polite, feeling flustered, annoyed, and missing Sonic - so it’s only when he’s caught up with Silver, Jet and Blaze that he finally notices that- “My money’s gone!”

“Wait, did someone rob you?” Silver asks, frowning.

“Not as far as…” _Son of a-_ “Nevermind, I know what happened, I’ll be back in a moment-”

Dodging the others’ questions Shadow ducks back into the bar tent, where Rouge is nowhere to be seen. Shadow has not felt this embarrassed in a long time. He goes back outside, checking the stables, then going back around the tents and _there-_

With a burst of flame, Shadow’s caught up with her where she’d been sneaking off toward the Tabantha bridge, skidding into her path. “Rouge the Bat,” he says. “Give me my wallet.”

“Oh, damn,” she says. Then she grips her dagger.

“Please,” Shadow says. “I do not want to fight you. How about… you come with me and my knights to Hebra, and I’ll pay for it. Does this sound fair to you?”

“A mercenary job?” she drawls.

“Well-” he begins-

“Sure,” she interrupts. “But only if you never talk about _this_ again.”

“All right-”

 _“-and_ you pay for my drinks.”

Shadow stares her down, only Rouge stares him down just as stonily. “Fine,” Shadow agrees at last, sighing. “Now give me my wallet.”

Rouge hands him his wallet, and Shadow puts it safely away into his armour. Then Rouge says, “So, wanna get something to drink with me?”

Shadow opens his mouth to say _no_ and says, “Fine.”

And thus they go back into the bar tent, order some mulled wine, and proceed to talk about their problems of heart for a little while.

 

* * *

 

Later, after Shadow’s found out that Rouge is an ex-Sheikah mercenary thief, and Rouge has found out that Shadow might be a bit charmed by the Chosen Knight, which is a staggering amount of information to give to a near stranger, but Shadow figures Rouge has nobody to tattle too, and besides, she’s a fellow almost Sheikah, what a bond - after _that,_ Shadow takes her to meet the knights.

It’s inevitable.

Still, he’d prefer to not have to do it.

He strides into their hired room, where the three of them are playing cards, and says, “Knights! Listen, thee: this is Rouge the Bat.” Rouge steps into the room. “Sir Silver, Sir Jet, and Sir Blaze.”

“What?” Silver says.

“Is she-” Jet begins gleefully.

“She is a mercenary I hired,” Shadow immediately interrupts. “She’ll be accompanying us to Hebra.”

“...Well,” Blaze says. “It’s very nice to have another lady on the team, Rouge.”

“Likewise,” Rouge says. “Anyway, I’ve got my own room. I’ll see you all in the morning.”

 

* * *

 

In Hebra, Rouge plays cards against Jet and Silver while a blizzard rages outside their stable of tonight, and Shadow lies on his bunk, polishing his armour and trying not to think about Sonic. And at the dig site outside of Rito Village, Shadow offers to stand guard by himself if the others want to fly over to the village, and Rouge brings over a mushroom tart for him, and Shadow tries not to wonder what the weather’s like down in Faron, and is Sonic doing okay?

They end up staying in Hebra for nearly a month.

During that time, it snows a lot up in the mountains. The researchers therefore appreciate Sir Blaze immensely, seeing as she just needs to do a quick sweep of the site with her fire to clear it of snow. Rouge continues to stay with them and go on expeditions with them, too, even when the Rito townsfolk ask them for something as simple as to retrieve some herbs or arrest some bandits upsetting the local traders.

Shadow is growing kind of fond of her, despite himself.

Despite that she robbed him on their first meeting, even.

Despite that she’ll leave after they’re done here in Hebra, even.

(Shadow still guiltily counts the days until he’ll get to see Sonic again, even though with time it starts to feel more bittersweet)

And as the Sheikah researchers dig up more of and more of what indeed seems to be another mythical Divine Beast, Shadow knows that the days they still will have to stay in Hebra really are becoming numbered…

 

* * *

 

It’s a cold, cloudless evening with a brilliant orange sunset when one of the researchers strikes gold and everyone has to scramble to get away from the digging site. The ground shakes and people scream and cheer as the Divine Beast comes to life, standing up on two legs in the shape of a ginormous bird. Magnificent it rises its head and lets out a single piercing scream that echoes throughout the mountains, and Shadow stands with the knights and Rouge a safe distance away from it and watches in quiet reverence.

This is the work of their ancestors, at long last awoken from its slumber in the hard winter soil. Reborn from the snow, through the work of the Sheikah and Rito researchers.

It’s beautiful and a bit terrifying, like a great waterfall seen from far too close. It makes you feel small. It makes you wonder.

The Divine Beast raises its wings and, _unbelievably,_ takes to the air. Shadow would doubt his eyes were it not for the others’ shocked gasps and the researchers cheering, and the little blizzard created by the giant bird as it soars upwards.

“Whoa…” Silver breathes.

“It flies!” Jet cries in glee. “Vah Medoh, we shall call it! After the great priestess!”

Shadow imagines that he can feel his own heart sink and soar, too, because this means they’re done. The Divine Beast has come alive; there’s nothing more for the knights to do here. They can pack their bags and leave, return to the south, to the great fields and the splendid castle town.

The time has come.

 

* * *

 

They set out again on the road, and at night they make camp by the side of the Tanagar Canyon. At the campfire Jet tells them all a story about a great Rito warrior, Rouge tells a legend about a Sheikah woman who saved the Princess from Ganon’s terrible wrath three times through sheer cunning, and at last Blaze adds in with a bit about the Hero, the Princess, and Ganon.

It’s a legend as ancient as the land itself, about how the Chosen Hero and the Princess of Hyrule defeated Ganon together, 10 000 years ago. Every child in Hyrule has heard this legend at least once, but not many know that there’s some real truths and facts in it.

Because the legend speaks of the Divine Beasts, and of the special sword the Chosen hero had. The divine power granted to the Princess by the goddesses, too - not that Amy has gotten the hang of it yet, but when the time comes…

When the time comes, it will shake all of Hyrule.

Shadow trusts in Sonic and his swordsmanship, but Ganon is no easy, _mortal_ foe. It’s an ancient evil, bigger than any storm, as deadly as any army- and Sonic and the Princess are just two people.

-it’s better for one’s peace of mind, to not believe in the legends.

(though Maria did, and Sonic does)

Eventually they all drop off to sleep, and Shadow’s last thought is of Sonic.

 

* * *

 

They wake at dawn and make for Central Hyrule, and at midday they can see the castle and its many banners whipping in the wind.

The sight fills Shadow with a strange and agonising sort of longing, and though he tries to stop himself, he finds himself hoping that Sonic and Amy will have returned to the castle already. He wants to see them as soon as he can, wants to greet them at the castle doors and share the news of Vah Medoh’s flight.

“Let’s hurry,” he tells the rest of them, even Rouge, who’s stayed with them the whole journey, and so they do.

When they reach the castle, Princess Amy receives them and their news. She’s overjoyed, of course, because this means they’ve got some more progress. Then Rouge steps forward, and Amy asks who she is. And Rouge says,

“Are your knights hiring, m’lady? Because I’d join.”

And her royal highness Princess Amy of Hyrule tilts her head to the side, looks at Rouge, all three thieving feet of her, and says, “Shadow?”

Shadow answers honestly, “She’s clever and a good fighter, your highness.”

Rouge winks at him.

Princess Amy says, “Well then. Welcome to the court, lady…?”

“Rouge,” the bat purrs. “I promise I won’t disappoint you.”

“Great!” Amy says brightly. “I’ll see you at the official knighting ceremony at 7 o’clock next morning, then!”

The other knights laugh heartily and Rouge shakes her head, but _fine,_ she’ll show up, and after that Shadow can finally, _finally_ bid his leave to go look for Sonic instead.

-He finds him out by the stables, lying and dozing in a stack of hay.

Shadow stomps down on the feeling he’s hit by upon seeing him, and pokes at Sonic with his boot and says, “Wake up, sleepyhead. You’ll get fleas out here.”

“Won’t bother me,” Sonic mumbles, but sits up and stretches nevertheless. Then he turns toward Shadow with a blinding grin and says, “How was Hebra?”

“Cold. Despicably snowy, and full of Jet’s family.”

Sonic laughs and Shadow is quietly pleased. He asks in turn, “How was Faron and the Spring of Courage?”

“Eh, kinda wet.” Sonic wipes at his nose. “Jungle and swamp everywhere. The locals were nice, though.”

“How’d the Princess do?”

Sonic doesn’t sigh, but his shoulders slump a bit. “Well enough. She’s frustrated, of course. She tries so hard and yet…”

And yet the goddesses refuses to hand over her birthright. 

Shadow shakes his head. Then he holds out a hand, impulsively, and Sonic grins up at him before taking it and allowing himself to be pulled to his feet.

“Hey,” Sonic says, “You know what this means, right?”

“What?” Shadow asks, distracted by how close Sonic’s standing.

“I’m back in charge of the knights!”

Shadow snorts and says, with genuine mirth, “Better you than me, sir.”

Sonic then pulls a face and punches Shadow in the arm for calling him sir, and then they gently try to tackle each other down into the haystack until a stable-boy tells them to please cut it out, the horses are trying to sleep, and they leave the stables and head back up to the castle as Sonic cackles with glee and Shadow tries to restrain his own smile.

 

 

 

 


End file.
